A Journal of the Deacon Brodie Summer:
The Diary of George Sandy 1788
introduction
The Diary of George Sandy is the private journal of a sixteen year old boy written in Edinburgh between March and August 1788 to the backdrop of the hunt for Deacon Brodie. It is a unique survival from one of the most extraordinary periods in Scotland’s history.
The Scottish Enlightenment was at its height. True to the moment, George Sandy and his friends were engaged in artistic and literary pursuits and taking expeditions to the historical and natural sites of the city. The diary is made beautiful with George’s sketches (some of great historical importance), calligraphy and even code. George Sandy would enter a legal apprenticeship during these months, and appropriately the activities of he and his close companions, who called themselves “The Independent Society of Friends” were recorded via a sequence of pseudo-legal documents accompanied by “official” minutes and codicils. Outside events were keenly observed. George followed the hunt for Deacon Brodie in his diary, noted turbulence in French politics and witnessed the execution of the thief and prison-escapee extraordinaire Peter Young.
about the diary
The diary is presented below with images and transcription. Further information is provided in the following pages:
diary digitization with transcription
The Diary is best viewed in full-page mode as a separate page on a laptop, tablet or desktop computer but will be accessible in most mobile formats. Click here to view in full size on a separate page. The Diary can also be downloaded to your own device for purposes of private study. Click here to download a searchable pdf copy of this document.
george sandy’s diary pages in iiif
The Diary is presented here in IIIF format, allowing extreme close-up study of the original 1788 diary pages. Please note that this presentation works best on fast connections.